D*Face is a UK born, street artist. His comic book style murals are completed using spray paint. He also uses stickers, posters, and stencils. It was not until 2008 that he unveiled his identity to be Dean Stockton. In an interview he was quoted saying that his “work speaks for itself,” and he did not find it relevant for people to know who he is regarding his work.
Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was heavily influenced by the punk skateboard magazine, Thrasher. He spent much of his time skateboarding and longed to visit the skate parks of California. His working class parents were poor, however, and such a trip was not possible. Instead, London became his playground as he searched for thrilling skateboard experiences all over the city. During this time, he developed his unique perspective on urban life.
After struggling with England’s educational system, D*face worked in advertising as a freelance illustrator/ designer. He became intimate with this side of consumerism, which informed his street painting. He viewed the proliferation of advertisements plastered all over the public domain as an intrusion. His work often satirizes the saturated relationship our society has with media. His vintage comic book characters often have different eyes where one eye is shrouded in a black circle, or a split face where one side is robotic or deformed. Every piece seems to be alluding to a kind of duality D*face finds in life. In 2010, he did Christina Aguilera’s Bionic album cover, which showcases this theme. Christina Aguilera has been collecting D*face works for many years.
In December 2014, Stockton worked on “Is The Answer LOVE,” a massive painting for Art Basel Miami. Taking the length of eight parking spaces, this three-story Wynwood building depicts two of his vintage comic book characters. There are no split faces, but there is still a duality with one character being a zombie sporting a D*face black eye, and the other is a woman with tear drops coming down her face. The tears are another recurring theme in his work. He plays with the faces of his characters a lot and they are always close up.
Henry Chalfant’s book on New York Graffiti, Spraycan Art and Subway Art, was the first to spark D*face’s interest in street art. In 2011, he combined his skateboarding and painting talents for a live painting exhibition at the Ridiculous Pool in San Bernardino. The Youtube video of his performance, D*Face Ridiculous Pool Paint attack, has over a million views.
For years D*face painted overnight and in secret. Most of his projects were left anonymous. To this day, he still paints illegally in the public domain.
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